I like it...or I want to like it...It sounded like what I needed for ds13...but after finding the implementation directions very confusing...not getting a call back from them (I waited for two weeks when I was considering them and had given up but after finally getting a call I changed my mind again...but this time it is holding up our school)...finding typos...I don't see how I can stay with it. I'm very disappointed. :(

NO, no, no. You would not want to do that in my opinion. I think even 5 is challenging and where it starts to pick up and I made as high in grammar on the ACT as you can make. I actually don't use it much past 8 and I stretch 6, 7, and 8 through high school.

Prayed!

OK hopefully everyone is home and awake now. ;). Any more thoughts?

We are replacing our carpet in all our living areas. I am considering a medium-light tan carpet with some varied "flecks" in it. The flecks are relatively subtle - not bold. I really like it for hiding dirt, stains, etc. but I also want it to look "nice". This will be in a living room, piano room, etc. - not the family room. Do you like it? Does it fit well with your style of decorating?

We are finishing our unfinished basement. We have lived here 17 years and never had a leak so it is sound. However, we are drywalling this weekend and are thinking that since we are covering the walls, maybe we should seal them in some way first. Can anyone give us a suggestion on what you use to seal concrete walls? Is this a common thing to do?

BESIDES THE POSSIBLE LEAD ISSUE...what is the difference in the taste, cooking time and tenderness? What foods are particularly good in a pressure cooker? My crock pot broke so I am looking at replacing it and thought I would consider a pressure cooker instead...but I really don't know anything about cooking with one.

I planned out dd's curriculum subject by subject (choosing from several different vendors) from 9th-12th grade. Then I planned out ds's curriculum subject by subject from 2nd-5th grade. For his 6th grade year I used my first boxed curriculum - My Father's World. I still kept a few of the other programs that I have come to know and really like but after resisting a boxed curriculum for all those years...I will say that MFW was a God-led thing for me and I really enjoyed it. We are now beginning our 3rd year with it and each year has gotten even better - although I still do add some of my other programs with it. For the 3rd child I started with Heart of Dakota's preschool program. I can't tell you exactly why but I absolutely did not like it. I wanted to like it. I kept trying to like it. I even accidentally ordered two identical manuals. I ended up giving one away to my niece with an explanation of how it really didn't work for me but maybe it would work for her and we never even finished our book. So for Kindergarten I started her with MFW. I liked it much better although we stretched it out over a year and a half because I started her early on it since I wanted to get away from HOD. That burned us out a bit but I am once again enjoying it with their first grade program...although I do still add some additional programs that I got to know so well in those early years.

We just started this program last week with ds13. I think I am going to like it, although I desperately would like to rewrite the week 1 instructions to make it clearer for the first time user (not to mention correct the misspelled word I've already found.) We are using Book 5 First Semester. However, it does seem like a lot of work/time/effort that is supposed to be accomplished within one week (although I recognize that I am at least partially judging this from a reluctant teen boy's view.) Since I am new to this program...is completing this book within one semester a good idea and you would recommend that I stay the course? Or is there any reason (long term) that an 8th grader should not take a whole year to finish this book? He is strong in grammar and we also do Rod & Staff but I want the additional writing focus. I'm just not sure how fast we need to go to get a good solid writing base with this program. From what I understand we may not need to do the 2nd semester book 5 (which I don't really understand why yet). Any direction/suggestions on which way to go?

You did the right thing. Sadly, there was nothing you could do to "fix" the situation. Now tell yourself that she has a sickness beyond her control and try to release her of personal responsibility in this situation. It will give you freedom to love her (from a distance) without resentment and to not be so emotionally hurt by it. Tell your kids the same - that Grandma did not know what she was saying and would never have hurt them in her right mind. They don't need to think that they were personally to blame for anything she said. My MIL came to live with us July 4th with dementia. Incredibly, after being a very strict, not loving mother she has become sweet, kind hearted and very easy to be around. We hope she can live with us for the rest of her days even though she could easily afford a facility. However, we are prepared to make a decision that would be best for our family if her behavior makes it harmful for our family. I will most certainly be praying for you as you resettle together as a family.

Year 7 tomorrow. Graduated the oldest who is now a junior in college. Next one will be 8th grade and the youngest will be 1st grade!

:(

I keep a whole LOT of wish list items in my Amazon cart. Whenever I look at it I find price changes of .50 or maybe $1.00 or so. But I've never found a "steal of a deal" that made me feel like I got a great buy! I've tracked a few things on camelcamel but really...does anyone ever see a drastic change in price?

My Ipod Touch (3rd gen I think) is totally dead. Nothing. I've googled and tried all the "remedies" of holding the two buttons at the same time for ten seconds, etc. and I get nothing. I just went to Apple's site and they want $150 to repair it! It's either 1 1/2 years old or 2 1/2 years old (can't remember.) I am not going to put $150 into it. I did come across a site "Digiexpress" that will diagnose it and repair it for $25 and I pay for any additional parts. It looks pretty reputable but who knows. Anybody had any experience with an Ipod repair?

We will be listening to the musical score on CD this year and I saw one version available on streaming. Someone said the "newer" version (which I think this is) is more politically correct than the older version. Does anyone know what they are talking about or have any opinions of this version? This one is from 2006.

VP is one of only two programs that I am still using from my first year of homeschooling. I only use the Bible part of VP. I started out doing both history and Bible but I ended up just sticking with the Bible part. I love that my son (and my next child when she starts) knows so much about the Bible. I use it for Bible knowledge, facts, history, etc. I use another source for a devotion, spiritual growth, etc. I started out laminating my cards but didn't like keeping them on a ring. I ended up using a small 3 ring binder and page protectors and much prefer that method. It is such an easy program to utilize and at this point it's completely independent. The only thing I strayed away from was singing the song (a good resource for many but not my son) and memorizing all the cards. I didn't find that worth the effort but might do it differently with the next child.

The Evan Moore info is helpful and I might still get it. But what I was thinking about was something that is almost like those calendars with a page a day and there is interesting info about a certain place and then you find it on a map...but not a page a day calendar. I want something that is actually curriculum...and it's ok if you stay on the same location for a week with more info offered each day but in little bites. This is what I thought the Evan Moor Daily book would be like.

Rainbow Resource now has the program. I can get free shipping because my order is over $150. We have never used AAS but we are going to try it this year with dd6 (1st grade). I THINK it will work but you never know. If I order it from Rainbow they do not offer the return guarantee. If I pay the $10 shipping fee to the publisher site then I get the one year guarantee. What do you think?

I want something that gives us some little family geography task each day, interesting info, etc. not necessarily teaches how to use different kinds of maps. I do understand that is important but that's not what I'm looking for. Evan Moor seems like it focuses 90% on how to read a map, different types of map, etc. Is there anything out there for this?

We go to Disney every other year thanks to DH's work. We stay on property (usually Coronado). We are very versed in doing things on property both in and out of the parks. (Yes, we have even pool hopped at most resorts at least once just to see them. No negative comments please.) When the kids were little we used to not even go in the parks until his conference was over and then we stayed over several days and did the whole park thing. Now we usually get 10 day passes and go some days without him and some days with him. BUT...DH just found out this week that he has to go for a conference August 18-20 and after I originally said I could never go without the kids...I counted up how many years it has been since the two of us have been away (9) for even a night and I said yes! We will fly down on Wednesday and fly home on Sunday. Taking the kids at this point is not an option. It is 20 hours of straight driving each way and the cost of all the airfares is not worth it for such a short visit. I'm not telling the younger two that we will be on property at all (Coronado again) - just that Mom is going with Dad on his business trip to Florida. We will all be going next June and we just got home from a trip to the Smokies so I think I can even manage the guilt that is threatening me! So...although I'm very familiar with the whole property, I've never been without kids! We won't go into the parks because I really don't think I could stand to see the rides without missing the kids and DH will be in meetings all day. What would YOU do if you were there for 3 full days without kids??

I'm not sure what size/style is most recommended. She is still fairly "green" at writing.

We are using MFW 1850 to Modern this year. I know that God and the History of Art is scheduled through at least a few of the MFW years. Since we are using the last year of the cycle, I am wondering if we will have any trouble starting God & Art where this cycle picks it up. We will have missed much of the book. Will this cause any issues for us?

I'm looking for some handwriting books to help ds13 shore up his writing. (It's really very bad but I'm just looking to improve it not get it perfect.) Do these books teach the HWOT style (which I really do not like and certainly don't want to ask him to change to) or they helpful with other styles of writing?

A friend just brought me a big box of famous Southern Missouri corn on the cob. I guess on certain days in the summer, people line up in their trucks to get a case of the corn. We will only be able to eat about five a day. I'm sure it might have a bug or two in it. So...assuming we will eat it up by the end of next week (I don't want to freeze it)...how do I keep it over the next several days knowing it might have some bugs in it but it is 100 degrees outside?

My dh and his two brothers are looking into getting power of attorney for their mom. (It's a positive, good family situation.) Is it possible for all three to have power of attorney for her or does one brother have to be designated as sole power of attorney?